Senate Presidency: How Saraki Saved APC From PDP’s ‘Coup’

Saraki

The All Progressives Congress (APC) national publicity secretary, Lai Mohammed may deride Senate President Bukola Saraki all he like, but there are clear indications that his emergence saved the party from a major embarrassment from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who would have produced the Senate President on the day of inauguration of the 8^th National Assembly.

Recall that in the mock election conducted by the APC to choose its consensus Senate President, that Senator Ahmed Lawan polled 39 votes to defeat Senator Bukola Saraki who got 26 votes. Therefore if all the members of the APC were present in the Senate floor without reaching a consensus, Senator David Mark would have been re-elected Senate President of the 8^th National Assembly with the block votes of the 49 PDP senators.

It should be noted that in the 8^th National Assembly, APC has 59 senators while the PDP has 49 senators. Therefore the APC does not have the overwhelming majority that the PDP enjoyed in the 7^th National Assembly to do as they wish.

 

The APC was saved on the day by Senator Saraki who reached political understanding with the PDP that eventually lead to the emergence of Senator Ike Ekweremadu as the Deputy Senate President which would have been unthinkable a few months ago. The decision of former Senate President David Mark not to put himself up for the position sealed the deal for Saraki and the APC.